Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
With that in mind, I slipped out of the kitchen and into the eye of the storm.
Toys were strewn about, varying in age level. A sea of Lego’s blocked my path, eying my feet with obvious hunger. I avoided those death traps at all costs. Next were the toy trucks and action figures, most of which were missing limbs, courtesy of Ramona, or covered in thin vines, courtesy of Tessa’s little girl, Willow.
“Daisy! Look at what I painted.” The voice of my half-sister, who had just celebrated her ninth birthday, rang out from across the living room.
Her curly hair, the same warm shade as Flora’s, was a tangled mess around her shoulders as she parted the sea of toys and vicious children with a sheet of paper in hand.
She didn’t give me the chance to glance down before shouting, “Do you like it? It’s me and you!”
Sure enough, there were two hastily painted figures, one taller than the other. Both had long hair, though the taller figures was dark and pin-straight. I smirked at the golden crown she’d added to both our heads.
“Princess Seraphina has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” I winked, causing her to giggle. “I can either put this on my fridge or if you want, you can hold onto it for me.” T
Seraphina eyed her artwork with obvious interest before reaching for it slowly. “I think I’ll keep it, but I’ll make sure it stays extra safe!”
As Seraphina pranced away to continue painting, I scanned the obnoxiously crowded living room. for the newest addition to the family. Luckily, our house had plenty of space to accommodate so many people and children, something I’d never take for granted.
On the extra-large sectional that divided the living room in two was my dad and Flora. Dad had his arm around her slender shoulders, while my youngest sat on her lap.
Wyatt’s baby blues found my face and his chubby cheeks puffed out as a grin took over his face. He squirmed on Flora’s lap, thrusting his hand in my direction to point at where I stood.
“That’s my mommy.” He squealed.
Wyatt hadn’t yet shown any signs of magical abilities, but now that we knew male Witches were a possibility, I was keeping my eyes peeled.
“How’re you doing, kid?” Dad asked, his gruff voice hiding almost all traces of his obvious sadness.
I pegged him with a smirk. “I haven’t been a kid in over ten years, dad.”
“You’re always gonna be a kid to me, kid.” His chest trembled as he chuckled. The humor that twinkled in his eyes was fleeting, though. As it faded, so did the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes. “Really, though. How are you handling all of this? How’s the twins?”
I glanced over at Ramona, who bore resemblance to both me and my mom. The only thing she got from Nolan was his eyes and his temper. She was in deep conversation with Ember, both of them speckled with mud, which made sense considering the back door was wide open.
“They’re doing as well as can be expected. They understand what death is, but it’s permanence. As for me, I’ll be alright. It’s…different without her here, though.” I stumbled over my words, feeling young and out of place. Thirty-two years old and I was still stumbling through life.
Dad patted my hand, covering it with his own. “You’re doing an incredible job, Daisy. Not just as a mom, but as a Luna and a Queen. There’s always gonna be times where you feel lost, but you’ve got family here to help keep things on track.”
A heavy ache settled in my chest. “You’re going to make me cry if you keep sweet talking me, and then
Wyatt’s going to cry.”
All of our attention was drawn to Clara and Mason’s daughter, Iris, when her twinkling laughter sounded from across the room. She’d been playing dolls with Tessa and Zeke’s daughter when the three-year-
old Witch made flowers sprout along the carpet. One of them. worked their way into Iris’s curly hair, it’s petals unfurling as it blossomed.
“Willow gave you a flower, Iris.” Clara said brightly, looking over her shoulder to share a laugh with
Mason.
With his parents watching from the end of the couch, Vincenzo called out, “can I have one?”
“Sure!” Iris replied.
One of the flowers, which resembled a lily now that I stood closer to them, vanished in a puff of shadow. It reappeared several feet away, resting in Vincenzo’s palm.
While Breyona and Giovanni laughed, fawning over their little boy’s display of magic, Holly and
Tristan’s daughter skipped into the room. In her arms was a tea set, which she plopped. down on the floor and started sorting through.
“Aunt Daisy?” Odette called out. “I made us rose tea!”
“Rose tea. How’d you know that’s my favorite? Who told you?” I exclaimed, sharing a smirk with Holly.
Tristan hovered at her side, his expression soft as he watched Odette play. It had been years since I’d seen a true scowl on his face.
Sinking into the couch, I watched the kids play and marveled at how quickly they seemed to grow.
Grandma’s absence was palpable, a force that lingered in the room like a noxious cloud. That was the grief speaking, though. I knew more than anything that Grandma was here, just not in the way we wanted.
Half an hour passed when Maven charged into the living room. The oven mitts on his hands. were huge, swallowing both of his forearms.
“The cookies are ready!” He announced proudly.
Just then, his foot hit one of the many toys strewn across the floor. The toy truck he kicked unleashed a howl, it’s headlights flashing. As Maven’s balance was compromised, time seemed to slow.
The tray of cookies in Maven’s hands went soaring, while Maven himself was carving a path straight to the floor. I lashed out with my magic, an act that was now second nature after all these years of training. Just a small pulse was needed, a wave of energy that surrounded Maven and kept him from falling, depositing him back on his two feet.1
Before I could save the sheet of cookies, they vanished in a plume of inky shadow. They didn’t remain gone for long, though. Vincenzo looked all too proud of himself as the sheet of cookies. reappeared on the coffee table.
Right as food was being served the others showed up. Deacon and Bridgette sauntered in through the front door with their son Elias in tow. Dina and Spence came next, followed by their son Dante. Even
Claire and Killian made it in time.
There was thirty-one of us in total. Twenty adults and eleven children. Dinner was absolute. chaos, but there wasn’t a second that passed where I wasn’t enjoying myself.
After everyone’s stomachs were full and the sun had drifted down the horizon, we herded the children outside and into the backyard. The youngest ones, Willow, Wyatt, and Niko, were placed in a playpen where they could watch tonight’s ritual.
Every single one of us, children and all, were given a white pillar candle. All it took was a single speck of my magic to make each one ignite, the flame dancing around the large circle we stood in.
“Tonight we preform a ritual meant to honor the dead and to celebrate the lives of those who’s spirits touched us the most. It was almost twenty years ago that Ember and I preformed this ritual for our parents.” Tessa began, her voice silencing the excited giggles that came from the kids. (1)
As the final remnants of light faded from the horizon, leaving behind a sky cloaked in darkness and speckled with silvery stars, Ember stepped forwards and began.
“Those of you who have magic, release it into the air. Let it fill the circle we stand in. Let it’s beauty give thanks to the universe and the Goddess herself.”
What happened next was nothing short of incredible. The shadows slithered from the forest, gathering at the edges of the circle. They pooled around my feet and around the feet of Ramona, Breyona, and
Vince.
A pulse of magic exploded from my fingertips. Shimmering orbs of golden light winked into existence, gliding through the air like a swarm of lightning bugs. They circled my shoulders, but it wasn’t just me they seemed attracted to, but Maven as well.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?