novelxo Chapter 32 Chapter 32
A day later,
We arrived safe and sound back in Stella territory. Leo wanted me to stay in the hospital in the Russian pack for longer but I insisted that we made it back for Silas's birthday. I wasn't willing to miss any more of my children's life than I already had. When he was finished with his little rendezvous with the nurse, Max was also eager to get back to his family- to be specific, his sister.
In the back of the taxi from the airport, he clutched the amulet for the whole journey.
"Can you stop that?" I asked pushing his jittering knee back down the floor. "My three year old can sit still longer than you.”
"Sorry," he replied. "I'm just reallyyy excited.”
"I know. So am I," I said softly. "But for the love of God, you're 27! Sit still!”
Eventually, we pulled up in front of the Triton Megestanis house. Max raced out the car whilst it was practically still moving whilst I slowly hobbled out with the help of Leo. My stomach was still sore from the stab and I wasn't exactly feeling strong after my miscarriage either. Before Max could get anywhere near the front door of his old home, it opened and out ran a young, teenaged brunette.
"Max!" she cried running towards him and throwing herself into his arms. "You're home, you're home, you're home," she sobbed as he lifted her off the ground and hugged her so tightly.
Above us, what were cloudy skies, cleared and the sun gleamed down upon the young witch and her long-lost brother. I looked at Leo in amazement and he shared the same shocked expression.
"I've missed you, baby," he whispered in her ear before putting her back down on the floor and crouching down so that his height was equal to hers. "And you've grown so much!" he added.
"And you've got older,” she replied placing her tiny hand on his cheek. "You've grown into a man."
Max smiled and placed his hand on top of hers.
"I have something for you," he said holding out his other hand
"The amulet!? You got it?" she exclaimed.
"You have your Luna to thank for this," he replied lifting the chain over her neck so that the pendant rested on her chest.
"Thank you, Ella," she said stepping towards me.
I smiled with my eyes beginning to well up with happiness.
"My pleasure,” I said opening my arms to hug her.
Despite her gentleness, as she hugged me back I winced from the pain of my wound
"Luna, are you in pain?" she asked with a look of genuine concern.
I nodded and lifted my shirt to reveal the bandage on my middle. "Just a little stab wound. I'm okay," I replied.
"Can I try something?" she asked looking at the wound and then clutching the pendant of the amulet with one hand. "I think I can heal you."
I nodded but she then looked over at Leo.
"Alpha?" she said seeking his permission too.
"Of course,” he replied.
She then placed the other hand on the bandage and kept the other on the amulet as she closed her eyes.
The wind around us picked up again and for a few seconds, the trees blew like crazy. Then everything was calm and my pain vanished. She opened her eyes again and I unravelled the bandage to find no wound, no scar, no evidence of being stabbed at all.
"Milly, you are amazing," I said hugging her tightly. "How did you learn to do that?"
"I don't know. I think the amulet taught me,” she replied.
"What else can you do?" I asked.
She closed her eyes and held the amulet again. A single blue butterfly flew down from the sky and landed on her finger, then another, and another and another until a hundred butterflies were fluttering around us in all their beautiful colours.
I smiled widely as Milly opened her eyes again to admire her work. Surprisingly, Leo's expression was far less impressed. He grabbed Milly's arm and dragged her towards the house. The butterflies immediately vanished and my face dropped. Max and I chased after Leo and Milly into the house and into the kitchen.
"Never do anything like that again,” he said sternly to her after sitting her down at the kitchen table. "Do you understand?”
She nodded a terrified look on her face.
"Yes, Alpha. But why?" she asked shakily.
"If anybody else finds out about you and your abilities, you will be made a target by both the pack and those outside of it. Whether they fear your powers or want to use you as a weapon, either way, you do not want to be taken away from your family or hurt, do you? Keep your magic practising to your bedroom and keep that necklace hidden. Okay?"
She nodded again.
"Yes, Alpha,” she said bowing her head. "Thank you."
Max placed his hands gently on his sister's shoulders.
"I'l be keeping a close eye on her, Alpha. Do not worry,” he said.
Leo nodded before Max lead Milly out of the kitchen and towards the stairs and we made our way home to our little tribe.
"Mama! Papa!” I heard a little voice cry as we opened the front door to our house. "They're home!"
A few moments later two little boys ran into the hall.
"Mommy, where did you go?” Cato asked as he hugged me tightly. "To Russia, sweetie,” I replied looking over to Mathias who was now in the arms of Leo.
"Why, Mommy?" Mathias asked.
"Well I see that Luca has already got you into your PJs," I began looking over at Luca who had just come into the hall with Silas in his arms. "Maybe if you two are really good when we go to bed, I will tell you all about it."
They both nodded and ran upstairs.
"And how's my little birthday boy?" I questioned taking my son from Luca.
"Not little, Mama," he said in his cute toddler voice. "Two tomorrow." "Alright then. My big birthday boy," I said tickling his tummy as he giggled.
"Can I hear story too?" Silas asked placing his tiny hands on either side of my face.
"Of course,” I said. "Now go and get ready for bed with your brothers.” "Bye-bye Sila," Luca said before he waved and raced as fast as he could upstairs.
"Ella, what were you thinking? You could have got yourself killed!" Luca said pulling me into a tight hug. "A mountain in Northern Russia? In storm season? Are you insane?!"
"Still alive, aren't 1?" I pointed out.
“Just,” Leo added.
"I've had the lectures at least twice already.”
"So, so stupid,” He said giving me one final squeeze before releasing me.
"Are the girls asleep?" Leo asked looking at Luca.
"It took about three centuries to get the twins down but yes. They are,” he replied.
"Thank you so much, Luca. I don't know what we would do without you," I said with gratitude.
"Get Luciano to do it probably. You know Alpha, that was a real slap in the face. I thought I was the chief babysitter but the second Luciano returns, you give him my job," Luca said. "I love your babies almost as much as you."
My face dropped at the mention of Luciano’s name and the memories of what happened just a few days ago came flooding back in.
"That reminds me,” Leo began in a serious tone. "Luca, can you find Luciano, drag him to the base prison and make sure he stays there. Don't worry about hurting him in the process because I'll be there in the morning to painfully murder him."
He looked from Leo to me with a puzzled expression before nodding. "Okay," he chirped shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, boys," I said softly to Cato, Mathias and Silas who were all tucked up in Cato's bed about twenty minutes later. "Are we all ready?” The nodded excitedly and Cato let out a little squeal of joy.
"Sssh,” I hushed. "You don't want to wake your sisters up, do you?" They shook their heads and I began the story.
"Once upon a time, there was a young girl," I began. "She had long dark beautiful hair and big round chocolate-coloured eyes. She was good-hearted, kind and sweet. Loved by all that knew her. But she had one flaw. Just one little crack. She was a witch," I said and all three of my sons gasped.
"A witch?!" Mathias exclaimed
"But don't worry. She was a good witch. The kind that wanted to use her powers to help others. Her brothers still had concerned though. They were worried that the rest of the kingdom would fear the young witch so they kept her locked up in a tall tower so that nobody ever saw her and nobody ever found out about her magic. The tower was safe and comfortable but so very lonely. She wanted more than anything to be able to join the other children that she watched from her tower window day after day after day. She knew that her brothers cared for her and were only trying to protect their sister from the dangers that the world could bring but a part of her longed to see it for herself all the same.
One day, a great war struck the kingdom and the little witch was forced
from her tower to venture into the woods alone...”
Half an hour later the fairy-tale version of the last three years of my life was finished and my sons were drifting to sleep. At that point, Leo came into the room. He kissed each other of his sons on the forehead and whispered a goodnight in their ears before helping me to manoeuver Mathias and Silas to their separate rooms.
"So if we have reached the end of the fairy tale, is this our happily ever after?" Leo asked as we snuggled up in the warmth of our own bed.
"If it's not, then this isn't the end," I replied softly before kissing him on the lips. "I guess we will just have to wait and see."