Chapter 9 A Girl

A strange comment, but nevertheless, I nod for my father-in-law's explanation.

Because every werewolf parent knows their children can already meet their mate when they turn eighteen. Not much preparation is needed, especially since it is the she-wolf who is leaving her parental home to live with her mate. And I'm all set to have Drina with me, I don't have to prove that anymore.

Ooohh well, I'll pass this subject on too, ultimately this is a matter between Drina and me.

The aura of these people may seem strange, but they surely are not evil. Actually, I only receive positive vibes from my father-in-law, he seems to be a dignified and honest person. His demeanor is somewhat aristocratic, which greatly piques my curiosity. I will have to be very subtle with my questions to learn more about this family. I certainly don't want to offend them, with my mate still in their house, I'm walking on eggshells.

Before I am able to answer, we hear a buzz outside the door.

The voices of my warriors sound stern but not hostile, actually more like they are someone. Jace and Clark go into alert mode and push their seats back at the same time. But the scent we catch is innocent and timid, certainly no danger to us or the pack.

And then a child's voice is heard, a girl commands my people confidently. "Dare to touch me. I'll shoot you all here in the sky. Do you know who my family is?" she challenges the men. "And my father is strong, he will behead you all if you do something to me. Stay three feet away from me! NOW!"

I look up in amazement, pups can't freely enter the packhouse and go around in such a tone. My eyes are now focused on the door of the dining room. I assume that whoever is back there daring to harass my warriors this way will certainly also succeed in getting in. And it's going just like I thought.

The door bursts open and a toddler of about five years old stands in front of us.

I don't recognize her, she most definitely is not a pup from my pack. "No, let me go. Don't touch me, do you want to die? You are not authorized to put your hands on me," she protests again dominantly, fighting off the hands that want to pull her out. She is clearly agile, nimbly manages to escape the men. Drina and my mother-in-law jerk around when they hear the voice.

"Alpha, sorry for the interruption," a warrior apologizes for disturbing on our dinner. "We suddenly saw her sneaking into the parking lot. When we approached her, she ran and was able to break into the packhouse. She's so cheeky and thinks she can fight us," he ends, suppressing his laughter.

"Erina! What are you doing here?" I hear my mother-in-law exclaim, alarmed. "How did you get here, my child?" The women rush to the girl, but the little one escapes their hands. Then she does the unimaginable; she runs straight to me and then all of a sudden halts in front of me.

Standing there, she examines me curiously, then starts to fidget shyly with her finger in her mouth. Drina and her mother stand frozen with eyes open wide, watching the interaction between the girl and me. I extend my hand to her. "Hi, Erina, I'm Alpha King Enrick. Welcome to my pack. Have you been naughty?" I ask her, smiling widely. She nods her head honestly as she continues to stare at me in silence. "Then tell us how you got here. And why you are disobedient." I try to buy some time for her, but it is obvious that Drina and her mother are furious with her.

"I hid in the back of the car," she finally confessed, still staring. "I wanted to meet you so much. Grandma often talks about you. She says you are powerful and love Drina." I frown instantly. Drina told me that she is the only child of her parents and now this girl notes that my mother-in-law is her grandmother. Drina and I don't have any pups yet, probably the girl recognizes all older women as her grandmother. That also happens in my pack. It is more intended to stimulate the feeling of being a family among the members. It is an effective concept to teach the pups to respect the elderly.

"And shouldn't you have asked Grandma and Drina for permission to accompany them? Now they are both angry at you", I tell her. "How do you think to fix that? Otherwise, you will be punished."

She now chews her fingers shyly but remains silent. She doesn't look at all sorry for her actions or afraid of punishment. It looks like she is aware of the fact that taking the risk of resisting the elderly is inherent in bearing the consequences. I take a closer look at the pup. She has many similarities with Drina, the same jet-black hair but her eyes are a mix of gray and blue. Her skin is somewhat paler but her eyes pop out of their sockets just as confidently. I think my mate's relatives have identical physical traits. I can appreciate that.

I beckon Jace to pull up a chair for her on my other side. When Erina notices it for her, she rushes over and climbs onto it on her own. She doesn't wait for Jace to lift her on the high seat. Hmmm, so she's just as independent and right on target as Drina.

Amused, Jace looks at the little rascal who is now sitting next to me as if she's been doing that all her life. "Are you going to apologize to the elderly now? That's what pups do when they're naughty," Jace tries to reason her out. She bows her head, clearly not intending to comply. And when she looks up again, she's staring straight into Jace's face with big eyes.

Suddenly Jace is turning blood red, he swallows hard several times before staring at his plate in front of him. ....