Chapter 3
1158 Words
ADRIAN
“Once upon a time, two peeps fell in love and—”
“That’s not how it goes, Addy!” Maddie giggled, smacking her tiny palms against his arm.
Adrian gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if mortally wounded. He toppled sideways onto her mattress, letting out an exaggerated groan. Maddie squealed in triumph, bouncing on her knees and tugging at his sleeve.
“Addy! Don’t be silly! You have to tell it right.”
Chuckling, Adrian pushed himself up, brushing her curls out of her face. His little sister was the only one who could demand anything from him and actually get it. She had their mother’s silvery-gray eyes, wide and luminous, and when she looked at him like that, he could never say no.
“All right, all right,” he surrendered. “I’ll start over properly.”
Maddie clapped, wriggling under the blanket like a pup burrowing into a den. Adrian cleared his throat, lowered his voice into the smooth cadence of a storyteller, and began.
“A long time ago, when the world was still brand new, the gods and goddesses walked among us. They lived within the world they created, celebrating its beauty and bounty with the people of the land. Gods, humans, and other beings shared life in harmony, rejoicing together beneath the same sky.”
“What’s mag… fishy-sense?” Maddie interrupted suddenly, her little nose scrunching up as she stumbled over the word.
“Magnificence,” Adrian corrected patiently.
“Yeah, dat.”
“It means wonderful. Great. Bigger than anything you can imagine,” he explained softly. “Now, can I keep reading, pup?”
She nodded, though her lips twitched in a mischievous smile. Adrian continued, his voice weaving the ancient tale like his father used to do for him.
“But peace among the beings of the world was fragile. To protect balance, each of the gods and goddesses chose their own warriors, blessing them with power beyond the average human. Selene, the goddess of the moon, gave her chosen warriors a special bond—a wolf companion, bound to them for life.”
Maddie gasped, kicking her heels against the mattress. “Like my wolfy? I’m gonna have the prettiest wolf ever, Addy. She’ll be sooo pwetty, with fur like stars!”
Adrian smiled faintly, brushing his knuckles against her forehead. “You’ll have a lycan, little one. Not just a wolf.”
She frowned, lower lip wobbling. “But… she’ll still be pwetty, right?”
“I’m sure she’ll be the most beautiful companion anyone’s ever seen,” he said warmly.
That was enough to earn him another radiant smile. She pointed at the book impatiently. “Wead, Addy!”
He picked up where he left off. “Selene’s warriors trained with their wolves, hunted with them, lived and breathed as one. But not all clans were content. A clan named Vígi grew jealous of Selene’s chosen, Clan Adalwolf. That jealousy festered into hatred, passed down until they no longer remembered the reason—they only knew Clan Adalwolf was their enemy.”
“I don’t wike dem,” Maddie huffed.
“You’re not supposed to,” Adrian said with a smirk. “Now hush.”
She giggled, tucking herself deeper under the covers.
He went on, telling her of Eydís, the daughter of Clan Vígi’s leader, and Karl of Clan Adalwolf, who fell in love despite their clans’ feud. Maddie’s eyes widened at every twist, her little hand gripping his arm whenever danger loomed in the story.
“—When Karl walked her back to her clan, he realized she was the daughter of his people’s greatest enemy. Still, his heart would not be swayed. He swore to have no one but her, believing their love could heal the wound between their clans.”
“Farting?” Maddie suddenly blurted, wrinkling her nose.
“FEUDING,” Adrian corrected sharply.
“Sounds like farting to me,” she muttered before breaking into a fit of giggles.
Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose but kept going.
He spoke of how Eydís found her wolf companion, how love began to mend centuries of strife. By the time he described Selene blessing the clans with wolves of their own, Maddie’s eyes were glazed with wonder, her lips parted as though she were seeing it happen before her.
And then—
The door slammed open.
Adrian snapped his head up just as Sebastian darted into the room, eyes wild. His sandy hair stuck up in all directions, his chest heaving as though he had sprinted across the entire packhouse.
“Hide me!” Sebastian whisper-yelled.
Adrian raised a brow, unimpressed. “I’m reading to Maddie.”
“Can’t you see my life is in peril?” Seb hissed, diving over Maddie’s bed. He wedged himself between the mattress and the wall, yanking her pillows and stuffed animals on top of himself like a makeshift shield.
Adrian sighed. “What did you do this time?”
Sebastian peeked out, grinning guiltily. “I may or may not have drawn a p***s on Reid’s forehead while he was asleep.”
Adrian closed the book with a snap, staring. “Why would you do that?”
“Well,” Seb said innocently, “he called me a dickhead earlier. So, naturally, I drew one on his face and said, ‘Who’s the dickhead now?’”
Maddie gasped, clutching her blanket. “What’s a dickhead?”
Adrian groaned, but Sebastian leaned in, voice full of mischief. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
The heavy thud of footsteps echoed down the hall. Adrian already knew who it was.
Reid appeared in the doorway, his face crimson with fury… and with a very distinct permanent-marker drawing on his forehead.
Adrian choked back laughter, pressing the book to his lips to hide his smirk.
Maddie, however, had no such restraint. “WEID! ‘BASTIAN IS IN HERE!” she shrieked, pointing her tiny finger at Seb’s hiding spot.
Sebastian sat bolt upright, betrayal etched across his face. “Traitor!”
Reid’s gray eyes gleamed as he stepped into the room, his jaw clenched. “Finally. A loyal pack member.” He winked at Maddie.
“Ahh, no, no, no—” Sebastian scrambled to his feet just as Reid lunged. He barely dodged, darting past Adrian with a shriek, Maddie squealing in delight as she chanted, “GET SEB! GET SEB!”
The sound of pursuit thundered down the hall—the future Beta chasing the Alpha’s best friend, Maddie trailing like a gleeful little shadow.
Adrian groaned, tossing the book onto her bed. Peace and bedtime stories never lasted long in this family.
Pushing to his feet, he muttered, “I give up,” before jogging after them, silently hoping Sebastian survived the night with all his limbs intact.
Because if Reid didn’t kill him, Adrian’s mother certainly would.
- Writer
