Valene:
A family meeting…a sit down…and there I was…at the table…with the Wade family. I was reluctant to take a seat but Master Wade practically pushed me into the chair with his beckoning.
This wasn’t by far the first family meeting; usually, they did consist of Harlyn and Master Wade, however. Sure, I was on standby but not a part of them-never apart; not since seven years prior to this moment.
I sat there nervous, under my cool exterior, waiting for Harlyn to arrive. It had been years since a ‘family meeting’. We both were kids at the time-Harlyn and I, and our minds were completely different. Neither of us saw the divide between ourselves as a species. So, when we sat down with one another at the table, Master Wade at the head making decisions, it wasn’t as…uncomfortable as it was at the moment.
Seven years it had been since the last meeting with all of us sitting at the table, and it was when Mistress Caris Wade died.
Sitting at that table brought back old thoughts, memories, and emotions about that time in all our lives. Things were particularly difficult for Master Wade. Although Mistress Wade was Master Wade’s chosen, he loved her with a passion that was rare in most relationships nowadays. Their relationship was golden-or at least as far as everyone could tell. Then she was suddenly gone. And, while it was a taboo subject to approach, it was my fault that she wasn’t here. Maybe Harlyn knew this; maybe that’s the real reason why her attitude had changed toward me over the years.
“You alright?” I heard his voice break through my wall of thoughts.
Only then did I realize that I had been staring pensively at the empty glass vase a few feet in front of me.
I looked at him. “Yes sir, I’m fine, thanks.” my answer was simple and only partially true.
Master Wade seemed to realize this as he looked forward and sighed, his fingers tapping against the table in chronological order. He only did that when something was weighing heavily on his mind.
“Are you okay?” I, in turn, asked though I probably shouldn’t have.
A dry chuckle left his lips and he shrugged. “I…am.” He answered almost reluctantly. “I know that the last time we sat at this table together, it wasn’t a happy occasion, Val.” He had practically read my mind and I had very little in terms of a response to his words. “This should have happened sooner.”
He left his sentence right there, lingering in the air. Master Wade made no excuses about the reasons why he didn’t do this before. I did appreciate that, because, in my view, there really was none. To me, the subject of this meeting was no more important than the meeting about Harly’s last birthday party plans, and I wasn’t a part of that-not so intimately anyway. Sure, this was her seventeenth, but in either case, it had very little to do with me. I was simply a bystander, so….
“Why now?” I let slip before I could catch myself.
He looked at me as I started to part my lips to apologize. Master Wade lifted his hand to stop me. “Before you apologize unnecessarily, I’d like you to elaborate.” He said.
I took a deep, and reluctant breath, my gaze glancing toward the door that Harlyn would inevitably walk through mere moments from now.
“With…with all due respect, sir, you’ve had plenty of meetings-and they were far more important…so why now? Why did you decide to invite me to sit down at this one? A birthday party planning that has nothing to do with me.”
“Because…” He said. “I thought we could make this about you as well.”
“No!” I immediately countered before I could stop myself. My response to what he had said was far more brash and aggressive than I had intended and I could tell that Master Wade felt the same. “Uh-I mean, I-”
“Your anniversary is coming up soon, Val.” Master Wade said to me instead of addressing my candor. “I thought that it would be a good idea to celebrate with Harlyn.”
I couldn’t continuously listen to this and not speak on it. Normally, I would never speak out of turn. Despite my position in the Wade family, Master Wade encouraged me to speak my piece whenever I had something to say. For the most part, I made it a constant point not to get too comfortable speaking my mind, despite Master Wade’s insistence. This time, however, I had to speak my mind. I could tell that this idea would not bode well for me or Harlyn.
“May I speak freely, Master Wade?”
“Yes,” He answered. “I’ve told you this numerous times before, Val-”
“I feel that it’s appropriate enough considering what I am about to say,” I replied. “Sir, I do not think it wise for you to push me on Harlyn like this. What you want to celebrate on my behalf is not some special birthday, but a simple anniversary. This, however, is Harlyn’s seventeenth-it is something of an important moment in her life and she should celebrate on her own. She should have her special day. I do not wish to intrude on that, and I would appreciate it if you did not push the subject further.”
He stared at me silently, his expression stoic but tense. He was thinking something or maybe he was communicating with his wolf; I wasn’t sure but I knew that he was thinking about something. Suddenly, I was worried that I spoke a little too freely and upset him.
“Very well,” He finally said. “I will not push the issue. You’re right, this is an anniversary and not a birthday.” Master Wade said.
After he said this, the double doors leading to the dining area had opened, and in waltzed Harlyn.
“Hello, everyone! Daddy!” She greeted him with a smile and when she saw me sitting down at the table, her expression changed into a subtle surprise. “Vali.” She said to me. “Taking a break?”
“No, she is not.” Master Wade answered on my behalf.
Her stare became deeper than before and I could tell that she had become incredibly curious. “Ah,” She simply replied. “So, a family meeting then, I take it.” Hesitantly, Harlyn sat down, her gaze reluctantly leaving me, and then turned to her father. “Surely, you can understand why this is making me anxious, daddy.” She said. “Last time we all sat at this table together, mum was dead.” Her eyes immediately fell on me again but only for a split second before returning to her father. “I’m sure we all remember that time in our lives…right Vali?”
I could not look her in the eye as I nodded in agreement. That time in our lives was something terribly difficult to go through.
“Well, fortunately, we are not gathering under such negative circumstances.” Master Wade said. I was so glad that he pushed off from the subject of Mistress Caris Wade’s death. Talking about it was like a dark cloud looming over us all.
“Okay, then what’s up? And make it quick,” said Harlyn. “This whole scene is giving me anxiety.”
Usually, I’d have chalked those words to overdramatization when it came to Harly as oftentimes she could be very overdramatic but not this time. This time, I was sure that her anxiousness was quite real because mine was too.
“It’s concerning your birthday party.” Master Wade finally stated.
“Oh!” A wide grin etched her hot pink, glossy lips, displaying her pearly whites. “So, then I take it we’re a go!” She said excitedly.
“Yes,” Master Wade replied. “For the most part.”
When he said this, is when her grin began to deplete a little. “Okay.” She said with obvious concern. She glanced at me, wordlessly asking me what was up.
I shrugged and shook my head. I knew that Master Wade wanted to talk about my anniversary, and he even alluded to the idea of celebrating with Harlyn but I wondered whether he took my words to heart.
“Well, as you know, wildling attacks have become frequent in Shadow Veil. The wildlings are becoming increasingly more aggressive-not to mention bold with their intrusion. So surely you can understand how…careless it would be of me to allow you to go off into the mountains alone-you and your friends without my supervision.”
She sighed, “Daddy, I-”
“Harlyn, you have to understand how dangerous of a situation you’d be placing yourself in-”
“But-”
“No buts.” Master Wade cut her off. “You are my heir, Harly.” He said to her. “My only…heir, and I will not place your life at risk for some coming-of-age party.”
“Daddy, you know that I can take care of myself.”
“For the most part, I’m sure that you can.” Her father countered. “But you have never faced up against a wildling and if I can help it, you will not until you are ready.”
Harlyn dropped her head into her hands. “So then what, exactly is supposed to not be depressing about this meeting?”
“Well,” The Alpha started to say. “I am allowing your party to go forward as planned.” He said.
“Let me guess.” Harlyn dryly stated. “But with you and the pack in attendance?” She rolled her eyes, knowing full well that this was the answer.
“Harlyn,” Master Wade said. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was about to turn not only logical but a little sentimental as well. “This isn’t just some random birthday. This day is very special for you-I get that, but I do not think that you understand how important it is for everyone as a whole.”
“Daddy, I-”
“Harlyn, you are the heir to Shadow Veil’s pack. Being that means that there are certain things you once got away with, that will no longer be tolerated.”
Harlyn wasn't necessarily a bad girl, but she did do things that would have been otherwise frowned upon as the princess of Shadow Veil. She had an image to uphold as Master Wade's heir and sometimes she fell short of that.
“I know that, daddy.” She impatiently said though it was quite obvious that Harlyn did not want to dwell on this little detail. She stood up. “Which is why I wanted this weekend cabin trip to be just about me.” Harlyn expressed.
As soon as she said this Master Wade glanced at me. We both knew though I was against it from the beginning, that her words were confirmation that it would not have been a good idea to make her day about us. He sighed and returned his attention to his only daughter.
“Harlyn, this is about you. It is a celebration of your coming of age-not just to mate but to be an integral part of Shadow Veil’s future. Which, is why the pack in full will be in attendance.”
“You’ve got be kidding me.” Harlyn hissed with evident frustration. She had already guessed as much, but I guess Master Wade confirming it made it even harder to hear.
“No, I’m not-”
“But daddy I-”
Before she could finish her sentence Master Wade immediately cut her off. “Harlyn,” he lifted his hand to silence her. “We will be there, but…we will not interfere with your festivities. You will be acknowledged as tradition dictates but after, everyone will be left to their own devices. The pack will be in their own separate packhouse while you and your friends, and sister will be in your own cabin.”
“You’ve got be kidding me.” Harlyn hissed with evident frustration. She had already guessed as much, but I guess Master Wade confirming it made it even harder to hear.
“No, I’m not-”
“But daddy I-”
Before she could finish her sentence Master Wade immediately cut her off. “Harlyn,” he lifted his hand to silence her. “We will be there, but…we will not interfere with your festivities. You will be acknowledged as tradition dictates but after, everyone will be left to their own devices. The pack will be in their own separate packhouse while you and your friends, and sister will be in your own cabin.”
He glanced at me when he referred to Harlyn’s sister and while it made me feel good in a sense, I admittedly felt awkward about it still; I mean sure I was technically adopted into the family, but it did not change my species as human and my title as vassal. My relationship with the Wade family was the definition of complicated. Regardless, of this, it did not deter me from making eye contact with Harlyn, however. I wanted to see how she took what her father had said. I was surprised to see a small smile on her face. Of course, it wasn’t reaching, but that could have been for any number of reasons, so I returned a smile and then brought my attention to Master Wade.
“So, how does that sound?” he finally asked.
Harlyn sighed and fell into her seat. She then pushed against the back of the chair with a grin on her face, small but still evidently satisfied. After a few moments of what seemed like her weighing in on the idea, Harlyn nodded her head.
“Sounds like a plan, daddy.” She said and then looked at me. “Looks like we’ll be celebrating our special days together after all, Vali.”