24 - Colt POV
1494 Words
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" You know, sometimes the werewolf hearing sucks.
Ash had a point. Helen's screams were still ringing in my ear as she held her arms to the sky and emptied her lungs.
We all looked at each other in confusion. The remaining patrons in the pub were looking at her with stunned expressions. Bet they have never seen her like this.
Was she happy? Was she upset? Who knew.
She finally looks back to myself and Abby, her eyes pouring with tears as she breathes heavily. I could feel the panic rising in Abby as her heart picked up - mine did too. Is she sad about this news?
"Oof!" All of our questions are answered as both me and Abby are pulled into a giant hug by Helen, screaming and bouncing in our hold whilst we try to keep our balance.
"I'M GONNA BE A GRANDMA! I'M GONNA BE A GRANDMA!" She hollers in excitement. Goddess lady, I know you are excited but turn the volume down.
Easy, Ash. She is just ecstatic like the rest of us.
Say that again. Couldn't hear you over the ringing in my ears.
I could only smile at this moment whilst I pulled Helen in tighter to our hug; Abby doing the same her side.
"You're not mad?" Abby sniffed out, trying to hold back her tears in the process.
Helen reeled back in disbelief as she stated at her daughter, gripping on to both of Abby's shoulders so she could look her square in the eye. "Why would I be mad? I am going to be a grandma! You are going to be a mum! This is the best news ever." That statement seemed to burst the dam Abby was holding as the tears flooded down her face.
The two pulled each other back into their bear hug as everyone watched on with joy.
"Oh, Colt. Come here!" Helen opens up the arm closest to me to invite me back in. I decided to pull them both into me since they were smaller and hold them both in my arms.
"Our little family is getting bigger by the day."
"Who have you adopted now, honey?" Oh great, he's here.
Our heads turn to the door. Mr. Stanton stands there with his arms crossed, wearing black gear from head to toe. It had all the telltale signs of a Hunter uniform which put me, Clarke and Adelaide on edge; Adelaide more so as she kept glancing towards the direction of the kitchen. Coincidence?
"Can I tell him? Can I? Please?" Helen bounced around in front of Abby like an excited puppy.
Abby's eyes were fixed on her dad's. They had not seen each other since that lunch. The tension between them building as Abby slowly nodded her head to answer Helen. Neither a smile or a frown graved her features as Helen turned towards him.
"Oh, Edward. It's the best news ever - you are going to be a Grandad!"
The wind seemed to be knocked right out of him as he stumbled backwards, using his hands to catch himself on the doorframe as he stared between Abby and I. His breathing became ragged as his mouth dropped to the floor.
"Give us the room." He looks to the other patrons nearby as he tries to compose himself. They all nod as they get up to leave, giving us their best wishes and congratulations as they do so.
"You're... pregnant?" He manages to stammer out after the last one left, leaving myself, Abby, Helen, Clarke and Adelaide in the room.
"Yes, dad... I am." Abby's voice was monotone as she spoke to him, but I could feel a guard being built inside of her.
"With his child?" He points a shaky hand at me. I couldn't help but let out a snarl. "Yes, it's my child."
"Isn't it wonderful, Edward? Our little family of three has become a family of five in a week." Helen seemed to be living in her own little bubble, not sensing the tension that was brewing.
Clarke noticed as he edged his way towards Abby, adopting a defensive stance as he stared down at Mr. Stanton, waiting for his next move.
Edward took one last look at each of us before his face settled on an expression - displeasure. "No."
"What do you mean 'no'?" Abby pushed her way to the front of our little crowd to confront him.
"I mean, no. How could you be so foolish getting pregnant from a guy you just met?"
"EDWARD!" That seemed to snap Helen out of her bubble as she stared shocked at her husband. "That doesn't matter. What matters is helping them look after our new grandson or granddaughter."
"Doesn't matter!?" He seethes as he looked at our group. "Our daughter got pregnant with a stranger."
"He wouldn't be a stranger if you had got to know him rather than treating him like a threat." Abby squared up to him. Considering she was scared about the pregnancy not long ago, you wouldn't have been able to tell now.
Mr. Stanton stared down at Abby. There faces mere inches from each other. "I think you and I both know, he is a threat." What's that suppose to mean?
He takes one glance at me before turning back to Abby, pointing down at her stomach. "Get rid of it."
WHAT!
Ash didn't hold back, and neither did I, as we surged forward and slammed Mr. Stanton against the wall, restraining him there with out hands wrapped around his throat.
"COLT!" Abby shouts behind me but I'm too infuriated to listen.
"How dare you even suggest that!" I spit in his face. My anger rolling off of me in waves but it had no effect on him. Instead, he just smirks. "See what I mean as a threat."
"Only when it comes to protecting my family."
"What's going on in-oh!" Maeve gasps as she takes in the scene before her; Faye hot on her tail.
I let go of Mr. Stanton before turning back to the others. Clarke was standing in front of the ladies. Helen and Adelaide had Abby sandwiched between them. I make my way over with Maeve and Faye, pulling Abby towards me and burying my head into the crook of her neck so i could inhale her scent.
"What happened?" Maeve asks Adelaide.
"Everyone knows about Abby's pregnancy now." Maeve and Faye make an 'o' shape with their mouths as they turn their attention back towards Mr. Stanton, as does mine.
"I don't care who you think you are, but telling Abby to abort our child? That tells me everything I need to know." I stare down at him. My Alpha aura rolling out of me due to the anger I had built up inside of me. If he was a supernatural, he would have felt it like the others in the room.
"You are not welcome near me, my family or my friends. You are not invited to my house and, until I know that you are not a threat, you are not allowed to be anywhere near our child once they born."
Helen looked at me with tears in her eyes. This is not the happy family moment she was celebrating about moments ago. "Colt, please. Let cooler heads prevail."
"No, mum. Colt is right." Abby answers bluntly whilst. "Dad is currently posing as a danger to our unborn baby. So, I don't want him near me."
Mr. Stanton just huffed and walked out the door. "Fine by me."
Helen dashes after him, shouting and pleading with him to be more reasonable.
The rest of us let out the collective breath that we had been holding.
"OK... it is frosty in here as well as outside." We turn to the voice at the doorway - Jason. "I just walked passed the Stantons having a... discussion."
He walks over us and opens his arms out towards Abby, a mixture of emotions as he looks at her. "Want one of my special hugs?"
"What makes them special?"
"You'll see." Abby slowly unfurls herself from my arms and goes into his. Jason, giving me a wink, picks her up and spins her round really fast, Abby squealing as he does.
"Told you." He smiles as he sets her down. I smiled too, enjoying their playful friendship they have formed.
"How about we all head back go the packhouse?" I turn to the group.
"Colt, I need to have a word before you do." Jason gives me a look that says it would be a private but urgent chat.
"Rest of you head back. We will join you soon." I give Abby a quick kiss before they all head out of the pub to drive back to the packhouse. "Alright, what have you found?"
Jason steels himself before speaking. "Amongst other things, and corroborating his attire, proof that Edward Stanton is a Hunter."
- Writer
