Some family matters.

**Flashback

“Come Bash, just leave it! Let’s go to the river,” I got his hand and pulled him from the family room, there was nothing we could do about it and I’ve never seen Bash so angry with father, I was afraid he would punch him, and things would escalate to worse, falling on mother’s shoulders, and she didn’t deserve more suffering. Our father was so set in his ways, sometimes to the point of being cruel and arrogant, making everyone around lose their cool! “Come Bash, I race you there!” I shouted to him, jumping and letting my wolf come out in midair. 

“Oh no, you won’t, Vicky!” he yelled right behind me, while our carefree laughter mingled and resounded throughout the forest. 

The feeling of freedom was great, both of our wolves running, nudging at each other, with the wind rustling on our furs, branches and leaves hitting careless at us, as we picked up the pace between the bushes, and suddenly the cool waters of the river came into view, as two lunatics bomb-dove into it, resurfacing and laughing so hard, we would choke swallowing down mouths full of water. The day was warm and sunny, while the river was perfectly there, waiting for the two crazed wolves, and for some time we forgot about our lives and enjoyed ourselves, until Bash became somber again.

“Don’t beat at yourself, brother. It’s not our fault. We knew this would come one day, maybe it will be tomorrow, maybe in fifty years, who knows. But it will come,” I consoled him going to the shore. This was our favorite spot, the clearing opened up into the river, and there were some big boulders by the margins. I climbed on one of them and sat there, Bash came right after, sitting by my side. Yes we were on our birthday clothes, and it didn’t bother us a bit, that was the way we grew up, how life was, and we’ve never felt awkward about it.

“Vicky, I don’t want to lead the pack by myself one day, I want both of us to lead it,” he drew his knees to his chest, resting his arms on top of them, looking so hopeless into the horizon. I didn’t want him to dwell in this burden. Then he faced me, and I stared into my own blue sky eyes, just like in a mirror, but so much sorrow in them, crushing my heart. 

“I wished mother would be different, stronger. She’s his mate! Why does she let him do the things he does? I wish, she defended us from him once in a while,” I lashed out in one breath, suddenly angry.

“He doesn’t even treat her as his Luna, Vicky! She doesn’t have a say in the pack. Most of the time I feel sorry for mother. He doesn’t deserve her, and I don’t understand why she put up with his nasty attitude!”

“Growing up, I heard the girls of the pack, sighing about finding their mates, how awesome it would be, how strong the bond is, how it was love at first sight, and blah blah blah. I even saw some of these feelings in their parents, but never in ours. There is respect between them, but not love and care for each other, Bash,” now, I was the one staring at the horizon, and pain dripped from my voice. “Do you think mother was ever happy in her life?”

“No, Vicky. Mother is an empty shell, living under father’s bindings, and saddens me terribly. I’m sure she would love to be closer to us, but he never let her do it, he wanted us raised to be strong and powerful leaders, and he thought too much motherly love would make us weak,” the resentment in his tone, showed me at that moment, how much he missed mother’s love. I leaned on him, embracing his waist, trying to assure him it was ok to feel this way.

“I know, and I also missed being closer to her while we grew up, but not even now as adults he let us get to her that much, at least we have each other, and this bond we share since birth will never fade, Bash” he hugged my back kissing the top of my wet hair. “I don’t understand why he kept me from mother, and he wants me powerful, if he won’t let me lead the pack,” I looked at him puzzled.

“He wants you to be a powerful Luna to some other pack, and make alliances. But I had told him already, over my dead body. You are as much of an alpha as myself, you’re cut to lead, God forbid, but maybe one day your own pack if it comes to this. I will never allow him to marry you off to some guy for business!”

“I didn’t know that! Son of a bitch… I’d die first, I’m not marrying off some jerk for the goodness of his deals!” I growled in a whisper, my wolf feeling outraged with just the thought of it. 

“Yeah right, I think father is becoming senile. I wonder if he was always like this.”

“According to grandma, no, he wasn’t. Something happened, I’ve tried to get it out of her, but she cut the conversation short and dismissed me.” 

“I don’t want ever to fall in love, mate or no mate!” it scared me the bitter way he said it. I wanted him to find his mate, he was a beautiful man with too big of heart, who took care of me like a mother hen, and he deserved the chance to love someone and be loved back. I loved him too much to see him suffer.

“Don’t say that, Bash. You deserve someone to love you unconditionally,” I looked seriously in his eyes. “Let’s make a pact. We mate only for love, doesn’t matter what.”

“You’re right, little sister, deal!” and he smirked at me mischievously.

“Hey, I’m only two minutes younger than you, asshole!” I scowled him, punching his arm. “Come, I’ll race you back to the house!”

“Are you ok?” he asked me again.

“Ye… Yes… Yeah, I’m… fine,” I rumbled and stuttered at the same time, as I shook my head slightly to get rid of the cobwebs suddenly there. “Who are you?” I asked in one go, feeling short of breath.

“Are you not getting out of there?” he had dimples when he smiled, I’ve never thought dimples to be so sexy. Lord! What was wrong with me? ‘No, I’m not leaving behind this counter any time soon, maybe not forever.’ That was what I wanted to answer him, but I didn't of course, and I blushed so hard my cheeks were on fire, and I never blush! God, a lovesick mutt behaved better! Out of blue, he extended his hand to me, and I wasn’t sure if I should accept the help to stand up, when he raised his eyebrows at me, I took it, and as he pulled me up an electrical discharge coursed through me, getting under my skin, curling my toes and wrecking havoc at the pit of my stomach, and the way we let go of each other’s hand like if we had been shocked, he felt it too.

My hands were clammy, as I cleaned them on my jeans, and the trembling so hard I stashed them in my back pockets. When I looked at him, he had lost that playful face, and those chocolaty hazel eyes were full of lust and confusion in them.

“Who are you?” my strained voice came out a bit harsher than it was supposed to be, signaling the amount of stress of the moment.

“Killian Duncan, from Duncan Carpentry? I brought the counters,” he glanced at me slowly from head to toe, probably thinking what a nut case he got in front of him. “And you are…”

“Arabel!” suddenly I shouted, no, I growled.

“Boss! What happened? Something wrong?” Arabel came running from the dinner, hearing my distressed call, even to my ears it sounded pained. But as she saw me alive and well, she relaxed, I could tell.

“This gentleman here, came to install the counters. Please, help him to whatever he needs. I have to go!” and I ran out of the pub, heading to my upstairs flat, like a fugitive coward.