Once Upon Her Three Wishes

Chapter Seven

Irina stood beside her heartbroken mate as her father commemorated the fallen Oksana. She was sad that she would never get to meet her, but she vowed to ensure that her memory stayed alive for Sergei's sake. Noticeably missing from the service was Aldrik. Judging from the bruises on Sergei's face the day after he found his mother, the two of them fought. Sergei looked understandably worn as Alexei spoke kindly of Sergei's mother. The alpha was also distraught over the loss of the pack member at the hands of her mate. His feelings of guilt were immense. He hated the fact that one of his pack members suffered in silence. These women have to understand that even if you're fated to be together, a toxic relationship is not a good one. There is no changing someone like that. After the memorial, the alpha approached Sergei.

"Seeing as you're mated to one of my daughters, I'd like to invite you to live at the packhouse," Alexei said as he stood next to his youngest daughter. He put up a warning finger, "But, she is not to be marked until two things happen. One, she has graduated high school, and two she agrees."

Sergei appreciated the offer, "Thank you, Alpha, but I'd prefer to live in my mother's home." He looked down at Irina tenderly, "I will wait for her to be ready to be marked."

Irina hugged Sergei, "Thank you."

The young couple knew that it would already be difficult not to mark each other. The issue would be harder if he lived in the same house. The decision to stay in his mother's home would be for the best.

Alexei nodded, "Very well, son." He took Sergei by the shoulders, "Let's walk this way." He nodded toward his daughter, "This is a conversation the two of us need to have."

Sergei looked at Irina nervously. She smiled at him, "It will be okay." The young she-wolf knew her father would be kind. But, she also understood that there were things her father did that no one in the family spoke about. She hoped that her father wasn't scaring Sergei.

Isabella went up to her baby sister, "What do you think he's saying to him?" she asked. Her voice was so close it made Irina jump.

Irina shrugged, "I don't know, but I hope he's being kind. Sergei has already been through so much." The youngest hugged herself, rubbing her arms up and down as if she were chilled.

Isabella leaned in, "As long as he doesn't follow in his father's footsteps, he'll be fine." There were a lot of things tolerated in the pack, some barely, like infidelity. But harming your mate? That's a no-go once the injured one comes to their father. Those pack members are forced to leave and never return. Even a whisper of it and you lose your job. Like Aldrik did with the guards. He was pushed out like a rotten egg in a nest. Isabella sighed, "It's too bad Oksana didn't come forward. But Aldrik will be banished from the pack now." Isabella felt bad for Sergei. Not only had he lost his mother, but now his father would be gone too. She thought for a second, then changed her mind. Aldrik being out of Sergei's life could only be a good thing.

Irina agreed, "I wish she would have said something. We would have taken care of her, kept her safe." Irina didn't understand the thoughts that went through some women's heads when it came to this kind of thing.

Alyona appeared between her sisters, "Is he going to be okay?"

Irina shook her head, "I don't know. I hope so."

Alyona watched as their father spoke with Sergei away from them. Bardik was beside his father and they were all speaking animatedly. Bardik crossed his arms as his head nodded toward the girls, no doubt warning him not to repeat Aldrik's mistakes. Sergei's head bobbed up and down. He looked a little angry at the conversation. Bardik's finger went up and he shook his head. The body language that was coming from the trio was nearly frightening. Finally, Alexei patted Sergei's shoulder and guided him toward the girls.

Sergei headed straight for Irina, who embraced him tightly. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to go home for now." The young man's face was sad, and he looked as if he were about to cry. He didn't want to show weakness in front of the Alpha and the heir to the pack.

Irina nodded, "I can see you later if you'd like."

Sergei didn't say anything. He was afraid his voice would break, making the Alpha believe him weak about crying over the death of his mother. He had to stay strong if he wanted any kind of chance to be on the Alpha's private guard.

Bardik watched as Sergei left Irina and walked away slowly from her. He turned to his father, "Poppa, I'm telling you. The apple doesn't fall from the tree when it comes to things like this." He cracked his knuckles and shook his head, "If he even thinks about hurting my sestra." The alpha-to-be didn't need to finish his statement, his father agreed wholeheartedly.

"Now, to find Aldrik," Alexei said in a dangerously cool tone.

Bardik's dry response was unsurprising, "That shouldn't be too hard." The father and son duo walked to the local distillery and, sure enough, the drunken werewolf was leaning against a chair, his head tilted back, passed out cold.

"That bastard couldn't even stay sober for his mate's funeral. It's like he doesn't even care," Bardik said with repugnance.

"Ah, Alpha Alexei, just in time," the female bartender greeted him. The look of relief on her face at the sight of Alexei and Bardik made them all the more sure of what they were about to do, "I can't seem to get this one to leave. He's insistent that his son is mated to one of your kids so he can drink as much as he wants, for free, and," she shuddered in disgust, "touch what he wants." The memory of him trying to grope her just thirty minutes ago still made her want to vomit.

"He did, did he?" Bardik asked.

"Bardik," Alexei warned, his eyes glowing with anger.

His son turned to him, "Yes, Poppa?"

Alexei's voice was cold as he stated, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Bardik's dark smile was frightening and the other patrons of the bar knew that he was not someone to trifle with. They were all quiet as Bardik approached the slumbering jackass in the chair.

"ALDRIK!" Bardik bellowed, causing the sleeping slimeball to jump awake. His drunken stupor was still hanging on tightly.

"Ah, Alpha Alexei, and Alpha-to-be Bardik," he slurred, "Come to toast my dead mate with me?" He asked as he swayed on his feet. Aldrik looked at the bartender, "Now, don't keep your Alpha waiting. Top-shelf vodka for all of us!" He swung his arms wide.

Bardik glared at the drunk wolf, "You're cut off."

Aldrik looked stunned, "But we have so much to celebrate!" He waved a pointy finger at the leaders of the pack, "My son," he pointed to himself, then jerked the finger back out, "is mated to your daughter." Aldrik laughed, "Although, my greedy ass son thought the moon goddess was worthy of all three." He hiccuped, "Like he'd be able to handle all three of them." He laughed harder, "Rumor has is one of them is quite the trollop."

That was all it took. Bardik drew back his fist and landed a punch, square in the drunkard's mouth.

"What was that for?" Aldrik asked as he touched his fingers to his lips, feeling the burning from the punch as blood trickled out.

"You will not speak about my sisters that way," Bardik warned. He wondered which one of his sisters Aldrik was talking about. It didn't matter either way, this one was leaving. Bardik grabbed Aldrik by the shirt and began to drag him up to the counter to pay his tab.

"Where are we going?" Aldrik asked, still confused and very drunk.

"You're paying and leaving," Bardik stated. His voice was steely and cold as he pushed the inebriated wolf forward.

"Pay?" he asked incredulously, "We're family!"

Bardik lifted him roughly, "Wrong your son will eventually be connected to my family. But, you. You will never be anything other than an abusive bastard that drove his wife to end her suffering."

"Bah, she was weak, that's why she only had one child. That's why she wouldn't f**k me when I wanted. I had to show her her place." Aldrik was rambling on about Oksana's perceived shortcomings and the only thing it was doing was angering both Bardik and Alexei.

"Pay," Bardik barked, jerking Aldrik forward.

"Okay, okay," Aldrik said weakly as he fumbled with his wallet. He threw a large wad of bills on the bar.

"Good, now, let's go," Bardik said roughly. He jerked Aldrik toward the door with Alexei following behind, watching his son's actions silently.

The trio marched to the border of their packlands. "This isn't the way to my house," Aldrik proclaimed loudly.

"No, it isn't," Alexei agreed. He could see pack members gathering and following them closely. They all knew to be silent as this happened.

"Then what are we doing?"

Bardik stopped right before their territory stopped on the mountainous side. "I, Alpha Alexei Boyets, leader of the Dragonmoon Pack, hereby banish you. Aldrik Goloshchapov from this pack." Alexei drew a large 'x' over Aldrik's body, officially barring him from the pack.

Aldrik screamed in pain and fury as the Alpha banished him. He looked at the pack members that had followed them to the border. "Please," he pleaded. "I can't be alone." Bardik pushed him over the border, sealing him out of the pack.

The pack members remained silent; they had never seen such a definitive banishment before. They'd heard of them, but never before witnessed it. The group, one by one, turned their backs on the banished member without so much as a word, or tears of sadness. They were all sure they knew why he was banished.

Alexei turned to the pack members, "Now is a time to care for one of our pack members, who has not only lost his mother but his father as well.

************

Aldrik screamed in anger, "They will pay for this!"

"And I can help you make them do that," a voice called from the shadows.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Just call me a friend."