Chapter 103
Monday 28th September, 2020.
Star
We had done it. We had revived our Mother. I stood up slowly. My twin and I were fixated on our parents. They were staring at each other with tears in their eyes. Dad cupped Mom’s face. He seemed to be trying to make sure she was real.
“Hesper?” He said, his voice shaky and boyish, not the usual macho gruff voice to which I had grown accustomed.
“Heath,” she said, pulling him towards her.
Dad and Mom were locked in a fiery k**s that I had to look away from.
“We did it!” I squealed, looking at my twin.
Harper pulled me into a big bear hug. He was trying to hid the fact that he was crying by burying his head between my neck and shoulder.
Aww, Harper, you’re crying! I said in his mind.
He nodded against my shoulder. I wiped his tears. He hastily calmed down and pulled Holly to him, holding her tightly.
“Thank you, Baby,” he murmured into her ear.
She clung to him happily. The Quads rushed over to me when I parted from Harper.
“I’m so happy for you, Luna,” said Noah, pressing a chaste k**s to my lips.
“You did it, Princess!” Said Eli excitedly, crushing me to his chest.
I felt a sharp smack against my a*s. I yelped. Zaya had taken advantage of the fact that Dad was so wrapped up with Mom right now.
“You’re lucky he didn’t see that,” I said pointedly, smirking at Zaya.
Zaya raised an eyebrow at me. “See what?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes. Jonah enveloped me in a warm gentle embrace.
“I’m so happy for you, Ma Déesse!” He murmured into my neck. “Soon, we’ll have our own.”
“Our own?” I asked.
“Nos enfants,” he said.
Kids?
“In time,” I said kissing his cheek. He smiled.
“Go, Baby!” Prompted Zaya.
I bit my l*p nervously.
“Go, meet your Mom,” whispered Zaya encouragingly in my ear, giving me a gentle push forwards.
Holly seemed to be telling Harper the same thing, gesturing in our parents’ direction. Harper and I exchanged a glance. He extended his hand to me and I took it, holding on tightly.
“Ow, Movie Star! I know I’m an Alpha now but I’m not indestructible,” whispered Harper.
“Sorry, I’m nervous,” I whispered back. “What if she doesn’t like me? What if she’s disappointed in me or…”
“You literally turned her from stone to flesh. She can’t be disappointed in you and she’s been a statue for eighteen years, she’ll be psyched about everything. Come on!” Said Harper, pulling me towards our parents.
They were kissing.
“We’ll check on them later,” I whispered.
“No! I wanna meet my Mom!” Complained Harper.
Harper awkwardly tapped on Dad’s shoulder. They broke apart. Dad looked at us.
“Introduce us to Mom,” said Harper softly but pointedly.
Dad snorted with laughter. Dad grabbed us both into a bear hug that almost crushed the life out of me.
“Dad!” I squealed.
“Heath, you’re too rough. You’re squeezing them too hard!” Said Mom, laughing.
Harper
Her laugh was the best sound in the world, tied with Holly’s whispery voice. Mom was telling Dad he was being too rough with us.
“You never used to complain,” joked Dad.
Did I just say ‘joked Dad’? Dad did not joke. Dad laughed heartily and released us. Mom swatted his chest playfully and he grabbed her hand and kissed it.
“Well, don’t just stand there!” Exclaimed Mom, opening her arms to us.
We rushed to hug her. She smelled wonderful. I held onto her.
“I missed you,” was all I could say though I hadn’t really known her. I had known something was missing in my life though. That was what led me to music. Music was a beautiful mistress but she didn’t fix me. I thought I’d found everything I was missing when I met Star and found out she was my long-lost twin but there was still this strange ache. We were reunited with our Dad who was tough but he and I took to each other immediately. Then I met Holly who made me deliriously happy and extremely confused. Holly seemed to know an awful lot about my Mom. I didn’t want to even hope my mother could be alive in case she wasn’t. I didn’t want to break my own heart with wishful thinking. Now, she was here.
“I guess I have to thank you both. You saved me,” she said, sniffling.
She ruffled our hair.
“Thanks for hiding us, Mom,” said Star, tears streaming down her face.
My twin was crying openly. “You saved us first,” she whispered.
Mom was crying too. She held us tightly though not with the bone-crushing strength of Dad.
“Let’s do something together! The four of us!” Suggested Dad.
I eyed him. I was shocked. He was not a barbecue in the backyard kind of Dad. Ugh, he was about to be.
“We have a bit more work to do first, Heath,” said Mom gently, reaching out and caressing Dad’s cheek.
“What do you mean?” Asked Dad, holding her hand to his face.
She nodded at the statues of the Queen and Asriel.
“Oh,” said Dad.
He had totally forgotten about them.
“Asriel is a cool guy. You can leave him for tomorrow. He won’t mind. The Queen can stay like this. Harper’s already ruling the pack nicely,” said Dad.
“HEATH!” Said Mom indignantly.
She pinched his cheek really hard.
“Ow! Hesper!” He yelped.
“That’s my grandmother and I’m sure the kids miss their cousin and what about poor Erin and Rein,” said Mom.
Dad burst into laughter. “Erin and Rein! They’re already earrings! What difference does it make if they’re stone now instead of metal! They’re fine. I haven’t noticed any difference. Cousin Asriel has been looking tired these days. Tomorrow we’ll sort him out. Your grandmother’s personality was so wooden, it took us eighteen years to notice she was not herself. We’ll fix her ok. But the kids are exhausted! Let them rest! Next month, we’ll work on your grandmother!” Said Dad.
Mom let go of us to tackle Dad. Those two began to play-fight. Star and I stood awkwardly to one side. Family life was gonna be weird. Star and I exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. Holly tapped on my shoulder and I pulled her into me.
“I’ll introduce you to Mom as soon as she stops trying to kill Dad,” I said, kissing Holly’s forehead.
“What are they fighting about?” Asked Holly, giggling at their antics.
They were like two badly behaved children. It was a good thing Star and I were already grown-up. Otherwise, we’d have to raise them.
“Dad wants to leave Asriel as a statue until tomorrow and well he wants to leave our great-grandmother as a statue until next month or maybe forever. He basically said she has no personality anyway so no one will notice she’s made of stone,” I said, laughing,
Holly regarded the Queen’s statue. I wondered or rather hoped that Holly knew I was joking.
“I wonder if they were sentient,” said Holly.
Star gasped.
“I made out in this hallway with Jonah,” said Star under her breath.
I rolled my eyes. Ugh Jonah, my second most disliked Quad.
“Like they were aware the whole time?” I asked my little mate.
My heart hurt. Poor Mom! That would be awful.
“I’m not sure. I wish for an audience with Princess Hesper so I might enquire about it,” said Holly, in her usual formal manner.
“Yo, Mom! My girlfriend wants to talk to you!” I yelled.
Mom and Dad came over and Holly hid behind me.
“Um, she’s shy,” I said. “She’s the real reason we were able to free you though! She figured out that the Queen was an imposter and then that you all were hidden in plain sight!”
“Your girlfriend?” Said Mom, narrowing her eyes.
Oh whoa! I was not expecting Mom to have any issues with Holly. Star gave me a pointed look.
See how it feels! Said Star over mind-link. Mothers are possessive of their sons, you know, just like fathers with their daughters.
“My mate and Luna, Holly,” I clarified, pulling her out from behind me and presenting her to Mom.
“Your fated mate?” Asked Mom, looking worried.
I realised she was scared I was with someone other than my mate because that basically ruined her life years ago.
“My fated mate!” I assured her.
Mom looked relieved. She pulled Holly into a big hug and then smoothed her hair. She held Holly at arm’s length. Holly was too embarrassed from all the attention to say anything.
“Let me look at you,” said Mom, cupping Holly’s red face.
“You’re so cute!” Exclaimed Mom. “Just like my beautiful Hannah!” Said Mom, pinching Star’s cheek.
“I actually go by Star, Mom! We have so much to catch up on,” said Star.
Mom frowned.
“I named you Hannah! And I’m calling you Hannah!” Said Mom, folding her arms.
Star laughed. “Ok,” she said.
Mom smiled.
“I’m so happy for my handsome baby boy,” cooed Mom, cupping my chin.
I grinned.
“Um, do you wanna meet my fated mates too?” Asked Star nervously.
The Quads edged closer.
“Mates as in plural?” Said Mom, looking taken aback.
Dad sighed. “Unfortunately,” he muttered.
“Heath, behave!” Said Mom, slapping his chest.
“They must be identical twins! Sure!” Said Mom, excitedly clapping her hands together.
Star laughed awkwardly, her cheeks burning. Holly hid behind me again.
“Um, they’re not twins. I guess they’re like two sets of twins in a way,” joked Star.
Mom was silent, waiting patiently. Star gulped.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Just tell her! I said to Star.
I’m nervous! I just met her! She’ll think she has a loose daughter! Worried Star.
Um, did you glimpse the same memories I did because Mom was kinda wild, I said pointedly, willing myself to forget the snatches of some of the things I had seen.
I had tried to avoid all of it but it was hard to navigate someone’s memories without catching a few delicate moments. At least, I inherited a whole castle and a werewolf pack from Mom’s side, I could more than afford therapy.
Star shoved me.
“Hey, don’t shove your twin brother! He didn’t do anything!” Complained Dad.
“I think they’re arguing over mind-link,” said Mom, her eyes sweeping over us.
She was a much sharper parent than Dad literally only five minutes after being freed from eighteen years as a stone statue. We wouldn’t be able to hide much from her. Star fidgeted nervously.
“Ok, well, I’ll um introduce them in birth order then…so this is…”