Alpha Lorn visited the two packs for a few more days. Once the information about the whereabouts of Lucifer was confirmed, three warriors, one from each pack, were picked and evaluated as to how well they would work together as a team. The three fit and worked together perfectly. Their backstory is that they are stepbrothers who went wild after their parents were killed in an attack by Alpha Lorn’s pack on the Blood Meadow pack. They did not want to be under his rule, so they have gone rogue and are looking for revenge against all the packs. They make their living as assassins. Alpha Lorn decided, with the plan set and the Holiday of Thanks approaching, he should return to his packs and celebrate with them.
Katia wished they could all celebrate together, and Alpha Lorn could stay to meet her family. They were due to arrive any day, but Lorn said that he did not want what was left of the Blood Meadow pack to feel neglected, and he needed to figure out what he was going to do to merge the Starlight pack and the Blood Meadow pack. He promised he would return before the Yule holiday. Shaking Nathan’s hand and kissing Katia on the forehead, he shifted with the rest of his men and was gone.
Katia smiled sadly, “He really isn’t as bad as I believed him to be. He deserves to get a second chance, mate.”
Nathan was so proud of his mate and the fact she was able to see beyond the rejection from Lorn. “Yes, little one, he does deserve a second chance. I have known Lorn for a long time and was surprised when I heard you say his name. I wanted to kill him, at first, for the pain he had caused you. When I had time to think about it, I knew Lorn, I knew, he would not have done what he did without there being some explanation.”
Switching from linking her mate to her whispery voice, “Things were horrible in that time and in that pack. Thomas was lost in whatever sickness had overtaken his mind and used his power to keep anyone from doing something to help.”
“Well, little one, we have another issue to deal with, so we can send our spies off to Lucifer. How are we going to change their scents to smell like rogues?” Nathan asked.
They were still standing out in the cold fall air, Katia moved into Nathan’s arms, and he wrapped her in a hug, warming her with his body. She had put on a little weight and looked so much healthier. He could swear that some of her scars had faded to barely visible. She still had the two on her face that he did not think would ever fade. The one was in the middle of her forehead. It reminded him of a similar one on Kane’s forehead. The two-scars resembled crescent moons, but Kane’s seemed to be whiter and Katia’s was a bluish purple color like a bruise. The other scar was the claw marks that started at her left temple angled across her left eye and nose, then faded away just below her bottom lip. It was a wonder she did not lose her eye from that injury. The scar seemed to fit in with Katia’s beauty, it seemed to enhance her features.
Bringing him out of his thoughts, he heard her say, “I have already addressed the issue with Lili, and she took the problem to mama. Mama sent a message that she would have an answer when they arrived.”
Nathan smiled at the nickname Katia called her sister. The two women never called each other by their real names. They were adorable together, and it made Nathan wonder if all the gods and goddesses would act like children if they received the chance to live normally in the earth realm. At that thought he inquired Katia about how the mate hunt for her sister was going.
Katia's faced beamed at the fact he asked about it, “I have a few men in mind. However, I would like to mate her with someone that is close by, so I may see her all the time. I know though I cannot be selfish and must do what is best for her.” She stuck her bottom lip out at the fact that she had to be mature and do the right thing for her sister.
Nathan laughed at her and picked her up. As she wrapped her legs around his waist, he shuddered and said, “Dear goddess, the two of you and my sister together all the time. I do not have enough warriors to protect the pack from the three of you.”
Katia pinched his arm and whispered in his ear, “You will pay for that remark mate.” To which Nathan’s response was to carry her upstairs and let her make him pay.
That evening, as they headed down to dinner with the pack, Dalia came running ahead of Kelp screeching, “They’re here! They’re here! Nathan, Katia’s parents are here. The titans are here.” She was grabbing Katia’s hand and talking a mile a minute, “I understand how you and your sister are so beautiful. Look at them! Your parents are absolutely gorgeous, both of them. I don’t know who is better looking, your mom or dad. I mean, oh my goodness, your father is huge. Look at those muscles, no man on earth could be that huge and, my goddess, no wonder your mom looks so happy next to him.”
Kelp cleared his throat at that remark and put his hand over his mate’s mouth saying, “Dalia sweetheart, I don’t think it a good idea to speak about such things to your Luna, about her parents.” Removing his hand and giving her a look that said behave yourself. Dalia was having none of it though, “Why? I am only speaking the truth. Just like when we girls talk about our mates and their huge muscles.”
At that, a blushing Katia stepped forward and slapped her hand over Dalia’s mouth. Laughing, she said, “Dalli, we can talk about this later.”
Dalia smiled at Katia using the nickname she gave her, and answered, “Okay” while Kelp whispered a thank you to Katia. Of course, Nathan could not pass up the opportunity to tease his mate, “I would like to hear about my big muscles.”
Theia, Katia, and Selene’s mother took the opportunity to join them, saying, “I would love to hear about mortal men’s muscles. But first, it looks as if you were about to dine, so let's get some food, and then we can discuss big muscles.”
Hyperion, the girl’s father, responded, “Now boy, you know what your future with my daughter looks like. She is just like her mother. Her sister too. I have been dreading this trip to the earth realm. Theia is as childlike as they are here”. Nathan laughed at the fact the huge titan had no control over his mate either. It made being called a boy not sting as bad.
Katia hugged her mother and father. Mother and daughter were crying by the time they made it to the dining room. Nathan and Hyperion shook their heads and grinned at them. Theia was talking to Katia about her sister, “So tell me Katia, before your sister arrives, have you any candidates for a mate for her?”
Katia gave the same answer to her mother that she gave to Nathan earlier, “I have some ideas, but I want to make the right decision for her as she did for me.”
At that, her father spoke up, “I don’t know why Zeus had to bestow that stupid gift on both of you. Even so, why don't you choose another god or, better yet, a titan to mate her with. It’s not fair that my daughters want to live in another realm like another species. And what they both have had to go through to try and collect the stupid gift.”
Theia smacked him on the back of his head saying, “Oh you hush, you old coot! If you and your mother had just swallowed your pride and not let your brother do what he did, our girls would not have to deal with your consequences. They are innocent in all of this, and my babies have suffered the most because of that old woman and her sons.”
Hyperion looked horrified and said, “Watch what you say about mother. She has spies everywhere. We do not want Gaia taking offense mate.” Theia just harumphed at Hyperion. He continued with, “Old coot, am I? I’ll show you an old coot later in our bedroom.”
Narrowing her eyes, Theia laughed, “What? You're going to show me your big muscle?”